Secretary’s General Report
Mr Chairman, Distinguished Delegates, Honourable friends, Ladies and Gentlemen. May I take this opportunity to thank you for attending this 13th AGM of WSC and International Conference “Realising Sovereignty – The Case of Sindh”. World Sindhi Congress and international forum of Sindhis has now completed thirteen years of its existence.
World Sindhi Congress was established mainly to monitor and highlight the developments affecting Sindh and Sindhis and protect and promote the national rights of Sindhis including “Right to Self-Determination”.
Our objectives are:
- To create a better understanding among the international community about the disadvantaged status of Sindhis in Pakistan and about Sindhi people’s struggle for their human rights including Right to Self-Determination.
- To raise awareness among the people of Sindh about sustainable development, appropriate technology involved in agriculture, possible trade and commerce, equal rights for women and minorities and human rights.
- To promote and encourage the association of Sindhis living through out the world.
- To carry out welfare and relief work amongst the people of Sindh such as literacy improvement, relief of poverty, health care aid and natural disaster relief. Specific activities include but not limited to, arranging the mobilising resourced organising relief camps and seminars, preparing report and reaching out to aid agencies.
- To promote awareness of the Indus Valley civilisation throughout the world.
Mr Chairman, Please allow me to update members of World Sindhi Congress and our honourable guests about WSC activities during last year. Last year we had the annual general meeting and international conference on 22nd July in this hall. It was a successful event and attending by delegates from Sindh, Balouchistan, Pakhtoons, United States, India and other parts of Europe.
On the following day of the Conference WSC gave a luncheon reception in honour of leaders of PONM. WSC has also arranged cultural programme and musical evening for Sindhi Community in February this year at the Sindhi Centre. Famous Sindhi singer Jiji Zareena Baloach and young Sindh artist of UK Versha Manjani sang Sindhi songs. Large numbers of Sindhis living in the UK and Europe attended this musical programme and enjoyed Sindhi music.
Last year, in October WSC has organised a community gathering in Chicago U.S.A. WSC has also celebrated 98th birthday and Sareen Gim Syed, this year on 17th January in London and Chicago. Saeen G M Syed was a visionary of modern Sindh. He pioneered the Sindh freedom movement.
Mr Chairman, World Sindhi Congress has continued to raise this issues affecting Sindh and Sindhis with the UK Members of Parliament, House of Lords, Members of European Parliament, United Nations, UN Senators & Congressman, Academics, Political activists and various heads of states. We have regular meetings with Amnesty International and other NGO’s in the UK, USA and Geneva. We have close co-operation with Liberation. Last year, I was elected Central Committee members of Liberation and this year both Miss Ambreen Hisbani and myself were elected as Central Committee members of Liberation.
We regularly publish Newsletters “The Sindh Perchar” which is sent to members of UK and European Parliament, US Senators and Congressmen, United Nations, Academics and other N.G.O’s. We have also had close collaboration with Sindhi Doctor’s Association U.K., Sindhi Association UK, World Sindhi Institute (WSI) USA, Sindhi Association of North America (SANA), Pakistan Oppressed Nations Movement (PONM) and Sindhis nationalists organisations in Sindh.
We also regularly attended various meetings and Conferences at the United Nations. Last year, myself and Mr Giri Raisanghaney attended the 18th session of Working Group on Indigenous population in Geneva from 24th – 28th July 2000, where I have presented statements on Item 4 and Item 5. This year Miss Ambreen Hisbani has attended 19th Session of work on indigenous population at United Nations and raised the issues concerning Sindh and Sindhis. Our delegation has also regular meetings with United Nations Officials and Special Reporter of United Nations monitoring human rights abuses in Pakistan.
Our Vice-Chairperson, Dr Rubina Shaikh also regularly attended United Nations Sessions. Last year she has participated in 52nd Session of UN Sub-commission on Promotion and Protection of Human Rights held in Geneva, from 31st July to 18th August where she presented statements of Item 4 and Item 5 and raised the issues of Construction of Kalabagh Dam and issues related to Women and children. Dr Rubina Shaikh has also attended 57th Session of UN Commission of Human Rights held in March and April this year at UN Geneva. She has presented statements on items 7, 9, 11 and 12. In her statements she has raised issues military sponsored local government elections in Pakistan, persecution of intellectuals and journalists, discrimination or religious minorities in Pakistan and recent water scarcity in Sindh.
Mr Chairman, Current situation in Pakistan is very unstable. The law and order situation in Sindh is worse than ever. Sindhi political leaders and human rights activists are languishing in jails without and proper charges and without trail. Detainees are tortured and beaten to obtain false confessions. Fundamental rights of Sindhi people are being denied. People of Sindh are facing ongoing, economic, social and political discrimination. There is no freedom of opinion, expression and information. All the development programs in Sindh have been suspended because of lack of resources and corruption of the Army and bureaucrats. The natural resources of Sindh, especially oil, gas, coal and minerals are being indiscriminately exploited for quick commercial gains and military purposes such as the construction of military cantonments in Sindh and expensive military operations in Sindh. As a result there is poverty and mass unemployment in indigenous Sindhi population resulting in increasing numbers of suicides among youths.
Mr Chairman, The current set-up in Pakistan thrives on religious dogmatism and intolerance. There exist numerous laws and policies, which diminish socio-political status of religious minorities and sects. Significant numbers of women are subjected to violence, abuse, rape, trafficking and other forms of degradation by their spouses and members of society at large. The Government has failed to take action in high profile “honour killings” cases and such killings continue throughout the country. There are considerable discriminations against women and traditional social and legal constraints have kept women in a subordinate position in society. There is defacto martial law – often the media is censored. TV and radio are state controlled. The judiciary is not free. Trials take a long time – for every 1000 persons 5 cases are pending. There is only one Judge per 85,000 population. Hindus, Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan are being maliciously changed under so called “Blasphemy Laws”. When blasphemy and other religious cases are brought to the Courts, fundamentalists often pack the Courtroom and make threats openly about the consequence of acquittal. As a result Judges and magistrates, seeking to avoid confrontation with extremists often continue trial indefinitely and the accused is burdened with further costs and repeated Court appearances.
Mr Chairman, Currently Sindh is undergoing a serious water shortage and the situation is growing worse every day. Presently Sindh is receiving about 80% short of its due share. Considering the fact that agriculture remains the major source of income in Sindh, this irrigation water scarcity is causing a great deal of poverty in Sindh. The policies of IRSA the federal agency responsible for distribution of water in Sindh is very unfair towards Sindh. It is surprising that IRSA was established to implement the water accord of 1991 and the same body is not ready to distribute water according to 1991 accord. IRSA is favouring Punjab and representatives of Sindh, Balouchistan and NWFP are not heard. In this regard many protests demonstrations and rallies have been organised by all the Sindhi Nationalists organisations and MQM in Sindh. Thousands of Sindhi political activists were arrested in Sindh because they took part in peaceful demonstrations and marches against the Government policies of unfair distribution of water.
World Sindhi Congress has also arranged a protest demonstration in front of Pakistan High Commission, London on 23rd March this year. The ironical fact that the 23rd March is celebrated as Pakistan day to commemorate the Pakistan Resolution of 1940, while after 54 years people of Sindh gather to demand their basic human rights and were protesting over the continuous violation of water accord by the Federal Government of Pakistan and Punjab. Several activists belonging to World Sindhi Congress, Sindhi Doctors Association, Sindhi Association UK, Representatives of Pakistan Peoples Party and Liberation (an UK based anti-colonial organisation) has attended this demonstration. At the end, a memorandum was presented to Pakistan High Commissioner, UK. It is now more than four months since the memorandum was presented to Pakistan High Commission, but Pakistan officials have not replied to issues raised by WSC, which proves arrogance and hegemony of one province over smaller provinces and Government of Pakistan has no answer to genuine facts raised by WSC.
World Sindhi Congress under the banner of IRWA (Indus River Water Action) participated in another peaceful demonstration in front of Pakistan High Commission, Washington on 18th May this year in collaboration with World Sindhi Institute and Sindhi Association of North America against unfair distribution of water in Sindh.
Mr Chairman, World Sindhi Congress is deeply concerned with the intention of the present Government regarding proposed construction of Kalabagh Dam. Recently once again, Chief Executive General Mushraf had announced plans for construction of Kalabagh Dam. It appears that despite rejection of Kalabagh Dam project by the environmental and irrigation experts and by the three out of four provinces, Government of Pakistan is planning to start this environmentally and ecologically disastrous project, only the please the people of Punjab. World Sindhi Congress strongly opposes the construction of Kalabagh Dam and requests World Bank and developed countries not to support and finance this evil project.
Mr Chairman, World Sindhi Congress opposes military sponsored local government elections, which violates civil and political rights of all smaller nations of Pakistan and religious minorities. This plan is a desperate measure of current illegitimate government to control the people of Pakistan through passing the much demanded provincial autonomy issue and arbitorily dividing the people into smaller fragments. This plan will result in further dominancy of federal system and army and will decrease the negotiating power of smaller provinces such as Sindh, Balouchistan and NWFP. This plan prevents five nations of Pakistan; Sindhis, Baloach’s, Pakhtoons, Sarakies and Punjabis from representing themselves at national and international levels.
Mr Chairman, World Sindhi Congress believes in unity among Sindhis and people of other oppressed nations in Pakistan. We are closely in contact with all the Sindhi nationalists organisations believing in ideology given by Saeen G M Syed. But challenges involved in uniting overseas Sindhis are different from these for Sindhis in Sindh. In this regard representatives of World Sindhi Congress and World Sindhi Institute met in Chicago, U.S.A. on 24th February this year. Both WSC and WSI agreed to carry our several advocacy tasks together and signed a memorandum of understanding reaffirming the commitment to the values and principles of democracy secularism and liberty.
World Sindhi Congress is also supporting the International Sindhi Sameelen at Indore, India on 28th-30th December 2001 Organised by Consortium of Sindhi Associations Indore and other Sindhi organisations worldwide.
Mr Chairman, Sindhi culture is the bottomless well of expression, emotions and actions of peace. Genuine love for fellow beings, non-violence, co-existence, tolerance, hospitality and right to self-determination, constitute the very spirit of Sindhi culture. In the present set-up of Pakistan, Sindhis feel that their social, cultural, economic, civil and political rights are being denied and they are held hostage at gunpoint. Sindhis are left with no other options except to demand the right to self-determination as per U.N. articles and prevailing international law.
At the conclusion of my report, on behalf of WSC, I will request the international community to:
- Stop their support to Pakistani establishment and Army.
- Stop financial support to evil projects like Kalabagh dam and local government plans.
- Abolish laws discriminating against women and religious minorities.
- Convince Pakistan Army to return to democracy and grant all the oppressed nations the right to self-determination.
Thank you, Mr Chairman.